Congressman Bill Posey made it easier for families to support loved ones deployed to war zones. But neglect by others in Washington has made it harder for National Guard personnel to support their families when they return.

Thumbs down: To congressional budget leaders for guaranteeing military furloughs that will hurt families and communities. House Budget Chairman Paul Ryan, R-Wis., and Senate Budget Chairwoman Patty Murray, D-Wash., have floated unrealistic budgets and made no effort at compromise that could avert across-the-board cuts under "sequestration." Among the next losers: Civilian Air Force employees and Florida National Guard technicians, many of whom are deployed to war zones and must take unpaid leave upon their return. State Senate President Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, and House Speaker Will Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel, appealed on behalf of Guard personnel in a letter to Florida's congressional delegation: "All the tributes ... and commendations which you and we offer our military tend to ring hollow when we thank them with one hand and cut their pay with the other."

Thumbs up: To Brevard Community College and Brevard Public Schools for reaching a preliminary agreement that will let high school students continue taking college courses under the dual-enrollment program. A new state law requires BPS to pay tuition for college courses taken by high school students. The proposed agreement, approved Monday by BCC Trustees, calls for BPS to pay the full cost of tuition, with the college returning half of the money the first year through a one-time grant. That would help pay for textbooks and bus service to BCC campuses.

Thumbs down: To Gov. Rick Scott for signing a law that will speed up executions and reduce the time attorneys have to prove their clients' innocence. The law requires governors to sign death warrants 30 days after the Florida Supreme Court certifies an inmate has exhausted all legal appeals. After a death warrant is signed, the state would be required to execute the defendant within six months. Opponents warn that fast-track executions will diminish the opportunity to exonerate inmates who have been wrongly convicted. During the past decade, 24 Florida inmates who were sentenced to die were later proved to be innocent.

Thumbs up: To Congressman Bill Posey, R-Rockledge, for passing a small but golden piece of legislation that benefits troops and their supporters in the U.S. His Deployed Troops Support Act allows nonprofit groups that send care packages to U.S. personnel to ship them free on military planes as space allows. Before, supporters had to pay to ship packages.

Thumbs down: To President Barack Obama for claiming the National Security Agency's gathering of citizens' phone and Internet data is OK because it's "transparent." A program is not transparent if it's overseen by a secret court, described only in secret Senate briefings or authorized by secret orders with or without probable cause. If the NSA's snooping is transparent, then how could it be "treason" for whistle-blower Edward Snowden to reveal its existence?

Thumbs up: To students, coaches and administrators at three Brevard high schools honored for outstanding sportsmanship by the Florida High School Athletic Association. Among the state's top programs were class 4A overall winner Cocoa; Class 2A, Section 2 winner Merritt Island Christian; and Class 7A, Section 2 winner Viera. Criteria include programs to promote sportsmanship, numbers of ejections for unsportsmanlike conduct and numbers of commendations for exceptional sportsmanship.

Thumbs down: To Palm Bay Academy Charter School for falling behind on its bond payments by hundreds of thousands of dollars. The school, which is publicly funded and privately run, has been trying to restructure $12.2 million in debt, but enrollment - and per-student revenue - has been lagging. David Gunter, an attorney representing the school, said school leaders reached an agreement with bond holders that will give the school and lenders time to find a solution. If charters don't live up to the terms of their contracts, school districts can shut them down.

Thumbs up: To Brevard County Property Appraiser Dana Blickley for reopening the property appraiser's office on Merritt Island, which was shut down five years ago by former Property Appraiser Jim Ford. Blickley, who was elected last November, said that by reallocating resources and reducing expenses, she will be able to operate the Merritt Island office without increasing costs to taxpayers. Property appraiser offices also are in Titusville, Viera, Melbourne and Palm Bay.